In this article, we explore how much of the brain a person uses. We also bust some widely held myths and reveal some interesting facts about the brain.

The Myth

Humans believe that they use only as less as 10% of their brain, the most complex organ. But this fact (?) has been a question for many years, until research studies using the fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging), and other similar studies, that measured the brain activity whilst a person performs diverse tasks, revealed that a major share of our brain is used irrespective of the time, even when we perform very simple tasks. Most part of our brain is active even we are in rest or take a nap.

However, the usage proportion differs between people at specific times. It is also based on the task or or the thought one is indulged into.

What if we use our brain to its full capacity? Yes, we could do a lot of things! Write an epic in hours, learn languages rapidly, paint a canvas quickly etc.

But the brain is a very complex organ. It has been a matter of study for many centuries, and still, researchers are coming up with newer secrets about it.

Normally, our brain weighs 3 pounds approx., with nearly 100 billion neurons (neurons are information carrying cells). But there is a myth that smarter people should be having bigger brains. In fact, there is no connection between the size of a brain and intelligence. Think of animals with bigger brains; all of those that have bigger brains than humans are not superior to human intelligence.

Over the size of the brain, the structure of it matters. Comparatively, human brains have more gyri (the ridges) and sulci (the folds) and a complicated cortex that accounts for the supreme intellectual capabilities that make human surpass all other creatures. Secondly, the relative size of the brain should be counted as compared to the absolute size, to decide on the intelligence of an organism.

Much to this, the body-brain weight ratio of humans is at the highest 1:50, whereas that of fish is 1:5000,birds is 1:220 and for mammals is 1:180. While sperm whales have the largest brains, dolphins possess a higher body-brain ratio and can imitate and recognize itself on a mirror.

Brain Exercises

It’s great to know that we are intellectually superior to other living beings. Wouldn’t it be great if we maintain the grey matter?